


and they were cousins

by moonsprite



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Bookstores, Crush at First Sight, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, One Shot, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23068729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonsprite/pseuds/moonsprite
Summary: (aka Hatori is called a pervert and he is not having it.)Shigure is quite possibly the biggest flirt you know, but he still manages to surprise you now and then. You never thought you would want to thank him for introducing his family to you, but now that you’ve met Hatori, you can’t even think about the Sohmas without feeling like your heart is being strangled.
Relationships: Sohma Ayame & Sohma Shigure, Sohma Hatori/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	and they were cousins

It was a typical Friday afternoon at your parents’ bookstore, and you likely would have been bored out of your mind if it weren’t for a certain person who you expected to waltz in any moment now. Shigure Sohma was, like it or not, a regular customer at the store as well as a popular author. Seeing him here was practically part of your routine at this point, even though you were only working here part-time.

Shigure always had a new pick-up line or subtly suggestive comment to tease you with, and even though you knew he wasn’t serious, you wondered how he managed to write such sentimental novels with that behavior. His books always did fairly well in the store, and although he came here regularly under the guise of hitting on you, you knew he was probably just interested in how his works were being received.

Just as the clock hit two, the front door opened and you tried not to immediately look up and give Shigure the attention he always immediately craved. But the afternoon quiet was only interrupted by soft footsteps and the tinkling of the door chime. Surprised at the unusual silence, you finally looked up as the footsteps came to a stop before your seat at the main counter, and you found yourself unknowingly made speechless at the sight of the man before you.

Tall, dark-haired, and striking in his long black coat, the man gently cleared his throat before placing a membership card down on the counter and speaking. "I’m here to pick up an order, please. For Shigure Sohma.”

Realizing that you had to give the well-dressed man a response besides just gaping at him, you felt yourself blush as you checked his card and quickly searched the shipments list. 

“That’s two books, correct? I can get those for you from the back.”

He nodded and you fled the desk to find his order in the backroom, your cheeks burning. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed how much you had ‘noticed’ him - it wasn’t that often you saw someone that attractive. But why was he here picking up Shigure’s order? As you carried his books out to the front desk, you decided you just had to ask. After all, this could be some person who happened to steal Shigure’s membership card. Or maybe this man was his editor.

As you placed the two books on the counter, you managed to stir up the courage to be straightforward. "Here are the books he ordered. But if you don’t mind me asking, how do you know Mr. Sohma? He usually enjoys picking up his orders himself… maybe a bit too much.”

Seeming surprised at the question, the man raised an eyebrow before returning to his more stoic expression. “We’re cousins. I apologize for any rudeness he may have shown towards you, although it seems you are somewhat familiar with him.”

You quickly reassured him that he had no need to apologize, but admitted he was not what you expected of Shigure’s cousin. 

“Truthfully, if you hadn’t told me, I would have never guessed.”

“From appearances?” He asked, his dark violet eyes seeming to glimmer with a hint of humor.

You couldn’t help but laugh embarrassedly - had your gaze been that obvious? “Yes, but mostly his personality, honestly, Shigure is a bit of a per-”

“Hatori’s a pervert too, he just keeps it well hidden in that suit of his!”

Both you and the man whipped your heads to the side at the abrupt interruption, as Shigure popped out from behind a side bookshelf, grinning. Had he been here the whole time? Too smoothly to be a coincidence, a tall graceful man appeared from behind another bookshelf and flipped his long, white hair as he fell in step with Shigure.

“Of course, are all men not perverts at heart?” the sleekly dressed man declared as he threw his arm around Shigure’s shoulders. “Greetings, all. But Shigure darling, have you been cheating on me with this lovely lady?”

Shigure stopped in his path and turned to the man. “Of course not, Ayame dear, how could I ever?” They tittered in unison and high-fived, then continued to promenade towards the desk. You almost swore they were sparkling in the mid-afternoon sunlight and fought the sudden urge to rub your eyes.

The dark-haired man, whose name you now gathered was Hatori, glared at the two as they came to a stop before you. “Oh Haa-san, don’t look at us like that-” Hatori lightly thwacked Shigure, then the other man – Ayame? - on the head with the newspaper he had tucked under his arm. You hadn’t even noticed he had been holding it – just how entranced had you been?

“Don’t insinuate nonsense about me. Why did you ask me to pick up your book order when you two clearly had the time to do it yourselves?”

Never at a loss for suggestive comebacks, Shigure quickly responded, “But Haa-san, thanks to me you got to meet the lovely angel of the bookstore!”

You had to stop him before he could get any more embarrassing and start spouting his usual cheesy platitudes, especially before an audience. “Shigure if you don’t shut up now- ” 

Mercifully, Hatori thwacked Shigure on the head again before he could come up with another line. “Enough you two, time to go home.”

* * *

After some bickering, Hatori managed to direct the two men out of the store, but not before Ayame introduced himself, extended an offer for you to check out his clothing store, and slipped his business card onto the front desk. As the door swung shut behind Shigure and Ayame’s excited chatter, you heard someone clear their throat and looked up, startled. You thought he had left with his cousins.

“Sorry about that, they can get a bit too excited sometimes.” Hatori bowed, apologetic about the two’s behavior. He seemed so much like an exasperated older brother it made you want to laugh.

“Don’t worry about it, Shigure is a regular here so I’m used to it, unfortunately.”

Hatori chuckled a little before handing you a completed membership form. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to make a membership card. I saw your store has quite the collection of medical texts.”

You perked up, realizing this meant he intended to come here again. “My father always wanted to be a doctor, so he likes keeping that section of the store well stocked,” you explain as you begin processing his form. 

“That’s fortunate for me. It can be difficult as a doctor to find the time to hunt down the type of books I’m interested in.”

You found yourself smiling brightly as you handed him his newly printed membership card. “I’m sure my father would love to talk with you about our collection, and you can always make order requests here as well.”

“I will be sure to let you know if I have any next time I come by,” Hatori said with a small smile before bowing and exiting the store, leaving you in an unsteady daze. That subtle change in his expression and his baritone register seemed to echo in your mind, and you had to duck beneath the counter to make sure you weren’t smiling too hard.

Unbeknownst to either of you, Shigure and Ayame had been watching the two of you from the beginning. Even now, their faces were plastered to the store window until they saw Hatori turn around. Before they could get caught in the act, the two quickly jumped into Shigure’s car and drove off, smirking as they concocted the next part of their scheme involving their beloved cousin. At the same time, Yuki shuddered, Hatori’s eyebrow twitched, and you sneezed.

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic because I thought it would be hilarious to meet Hatori because of Shigure, who's being a perv at the bookstore because he likes watching your reactions. Shigure's a mastermind as usual, and all he wants is for Haa-san to be happy. Ayame, as always, is a willing co-conspirator and fellow pervert.


End file.
